Leather goods edge pressing device



Julie 4 s. BIAWITZ ,287, 09

I LEATHER GOODS EDGE PRESSING DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 '4' I'IIIIIIII. I. 'IIIIIIIA v INVENTOR. S MUEL BifiM/iTZ BY fwd/ I HTTORNEX June 23, 1942. s. BIAWITZ LEATHER GOODS EDGE PRESSING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1942 INVEIYTOR. SW/HWITZ BY may;

Patented June 23, 1942 UNETED STATES-lATENT OFFICE LEATHER. GOODS EDGE PRESSING DEVICE v Samuel Biawit z, Flushing, N. Y.

Application February 5, 1942, Serial No. 429,627

11 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a leather goods edge pressing de vice.

More specifically, the invention proposes the construction of an edge pressing device designed particularly to press the sewed edges of an eyeglass case in a manner to form a space between the adjacent faces of the walls of the case into which a pair of glasses is adapted to be engaged and to form pressed stripes along the edges of the case for decorative purposes.

It is old to provide an eyeglass case with a pressed edge as proposed, but heretofore this pressing operation was done by hand. This invention proposes the construction of a pressing 7 device in the nature of a foot press, or other press, having means associated therewith and arranged in a manner to conveniently accomplish the pressing operation by merely manipulating a foot lever or other control.

A still further object of the invention proposes to construct said means associated with said press in such a manner as to prevent the leather from which the eyeglass case is formed from being broken at points adjacent the sewed edge during the pressing operation.

Another object of the invention proposes to characterize said means by a pair of cooperative dies consisting of an internal die adapted to re- 'ceive an eyeglass case to be pressed and which is cooperative with an external die arranged in a manner to engage over and seat upon the sewed edges of the eyeglass case when in position upon the internal die.

Still further the invention proposes providing the internal die with a strip of leather belting material or its equivalent which is arranged in a manner to act as a counterpressure portion against which the external die engages to accomplish the pressing operation and to prevent the leather from being broken. The addition of the leather belting to the edge of the internal die is of extreme importance in the present construction in that it prevents the breaking of the leather and provides the difference between a successful press means capable of accomplishing the pressing of a sewed edge, and previous attempts to produce press means which were unsuccessful due to the fact that the cooperative die elements when pressure was applied thereto caused the leather to be broken or damaged.

Another object of the invention proposes the association of an electric heater on one of the dies, more particularly; the external die, arranged in a manner to heat the die to more readilyaccomplish the pressing operation when the dies are brought together with the eyeglass case in position therebetween.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof; reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

-In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a leather goods edge pressing device constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the top portion of the pressing device shown in Fig. 1. p V

Fig 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational view of the internal die looking in the direction of the line 55 of Fig. 2.;

Fig. 6 is an'elevational view of an eyeglass case which was pressed by the device.

, Fig. '7 is a sectional view through the sewed edge of the case shown in Fig. 6 before being pressed. 7

'Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 8 --8 of Fig. 6, (after the case has been pressed).

Fig. 9 is a front elevational view similar to Fig. 2 but shown with the dies in their closed position and with the eyeglass case in position therebetween.

Fig. 10 1s a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional veiw taken on the line lll-l 0 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a front elevational view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the press provided with dies for pressing an eyeglass case of a difierent shape.

Fig. 12 is anelevational view of the eyeglass case adapted to and pressed on the device shown in Fig. 11. r

Fig. 13 is a front elevational view of the dies shown in Fig. 11 in their closed position with the case shown in Fig. 12 in position between the dies.

Fig. 14 is a front elevational View of still another type of eyeglass case adapted to be pressed upon a device constructed in accordance with this invention and provided with properly shaped dies.

The leather goods edge pressing device, ac-

cording tothis invention, includes a pair of co-,

operative dies I and H arranged to be opened and closed. The die I0 is in the nature of an internal die and is adapted to be engaged inside of a leather eyeglass case I2. The die H1 is constructed of a piece of flat metal material, preferably steel, and has its bottom edge pivotally attached to a block [3 resting and mounted upon the top surface of a bench or table I4. The bottom corners of the die ID are provided with outwardly extended trunnion elements l5 which engage complementary openings formed in bearings IS. The bearings l6 are integrally formed or mounted upon the top face of the block l3. The die In is maintained in an upwardly and forwardly inclined inoperative position, as shown in Fig.

'1, by a lug I! which is on the block I 3 and upon which the die I0 rests.

The die I is in the form of an external die and is adapted to engage the outside of the case l2 and is provided with an internal groove |8 into which the edge of the case I2 is adapted to be projected when the dies are brought together. The die II is mounted upon the bottom end of a vertical plunger l9 which is slidably extended through a guide 29 on the top end of the press frame 2|. The frame 2| extends upward from the back of the block I3 and is securely attached or connected thereto.

Means is provided for moving the plunger l9 vertically downwards with relation to the guide 20 of the frame 2| to seat the die H on the edge of the case l2 when the case 2 is in position upon the die l0 and the latter is in operative position. This means comprises a pivotally mounted lever 22 which extends through the frame 2| and connects with the plunger IS. The lever 22 is pivotally mounted upon a pintle 23 which extends between the sides of the frame 2|. The bottom end of the lever 22 is curved forwards to assume a position beneath the front edge of the bench or table M. The free bottom end of the lever 22 is provided with a pedal 24 upon which the operator engages his foot for pushing the free end of the lever 22 rearwards to pivot the lever and cause the rod IE! to move downwards. The free top end of the lever 22 is projected through an opening 25 formed in the frame 2| and extends into a triangularly shaped opening 26 formed in the plunger IS. The small end of the triangularly shaped opening 26 receives the free top end of the lever 22 and is of a height substantially equal to the vertical thickness of the lever 22, causing the plunger l9 to mimic all vertical movements of the top end of the lever 22.

A large weight 21 is fixedly mounted upon an intermediate portion of the lever 22 and is for the purpose of pivoting the lever 22 back to its starting position after the operator releases his foot pressure. The weight 21 tends to urge the lever 22 into a normal downwardly depending position in which the plunger [9 is in a raised position with relation to the frame 2|.

A strip of slightly compressible material 28 is mounted upon the free top and side edges of the die II]. This compressible strip of material 28 is preferably a length of leather belting having a circular cross section, and it is extended into a semi-circular recess formed in the edges of the die I0. This compressible material 28 is cut to have fiat inclined sides 30 projected from the edges of the die l8 and acting as a counterpressure portion against which the external die engages or presses the edges of the eyeglass case l2 so as to form and press the edge portions and also to prevent the edges of the die Hi from breaking through the leather material of the case l2.

Means is provided for releasibly attaching the ends of the strip of material 28 to the sides of the die Ii]. To accomplish this, each end of the strip of material 28 is securely attached to a clip 3| which has an extending lug 32. A screw 33 freely passes through a slot 34 formed in each lug 32 and threadedly engages the material of the die It for securely holding the strip of material 28 in position.

The angular inclination of the inclined sides 38 of the strip of material 28 is of extreme im portance, and it is for this reason that the strip of material 28 is secured in position by means of the screw and slot arrangement just described and shown in Fig. 5. Normally, the screws 33 assume positions adjacent the top ends of the slots 34. However, it is possible to loosen the screws 33, permitting the clips 3| to move upwards to disengage the strip of material 28 from the recess 29, and in this disengaged position it is possible to cut or shave the opposed sides of the strip of material 28 to form the inclined sides correctly. The exact inclination of the sides is determined by actually operating the press and noting the effect of the closed dies upon the sewed edge of the case l2. If it appears that the dies are not pressing a uniform stripe or are breaking through the leather 'of the case, it is necessary to shave more of the leather away from the strip of material 28, increasing the angular inclination of the inclined sides to reduce the breaking through, or thin sheet shim material is placed at points in the groove 29.

The die H has a pair of stops 35 which extend downwards from the bottom edge thereof, and when the eyeglass case |2 is in position on the die If), and the latter die is pivoted to its vertical operative position, indicated by the dot and dash lines in Fig. 1, the back portion of the case i2 strikes the stops 35, aligning the top edge of the die H] with the groove I8 so that the die it enters the groove l8 when the die moves downwards with relation thereto. These stops 35 are mounted on or integrally formed upon the die I! and are designed merely to align the dies Iii and H as stated. The front face of the top die H is provided with an electric heater 35 from which the wires 31 extend for supplying the required current for energizing the heater 36 to heat the die II and provide the necessary heat to set the pressed edges of the eyeglass case. Further details of this heater will not be given in this specification as they form no part of the invention and are known to those skilled in the art.

The top end of the plunger I9 is provided with a pair of outwardly extending lugs 38 through which adjustment screws 39 threadedly extend. Nuts it threadedly engage the screws 39 and are engageable against the top faces of the lugs 38 for locking the screws 39 in various adjusted positions in which their bottom ends project beyond the bottom faces of the lugs 38. When the lever 22 is pivoted to move the plunger l9 downwards the bottom ends of the screws 39 strike the top of the frame 2| and limit downward movement of the plunger IS with relation to the frame 2|. This adjustment is provided for the purpose of permitting the downward movement of ,thedie tobje controlled to compensate for the thickness of the material of the varying The eyeglass case I2 is of the type which is I constructed of a pair of adjacent pieces of leather 4| and 42 which are arranged to form the front and backwalls of the case. The adjacent bottom and side edges of these pieces of leather 4| and 42 are secured together by means of a line of stitches 43 and this sewed edge comprises the sewed edge which has been hereinbefore referred to. Normally, after the case I2 has been sewed the adjacent walls of the case assume the position shown in Fig. 7. However, after the pressing operation the walls of the case assume the position as shown in Fig. 8 in which there is a space 44 between the adjacent faces of the walls M and 42. This space 44 is provided for permitting a pair of eyeglasses to be easily inserted into the case through the open top thereof, Furthermore, the pressing operation produces a smooth stripe along the edge of the case due to the heat embossing operation of the pressing device.

The operation of this form of the invention is as follows:

An eyeglass case I2 to be pressed is engaged upon the die In by engaging the top edge of the die Iii into the case I2 through the open portion of the case. The die Ii], having the case I2 in position thereon, is then pivoted to the vertical operative position in which one of the walls of the case I2 strikes the stops to align the top edge of the die I 0 with the groove I8 in the die II. The lever 22 is then pivoted by engaging ones foot upon the pedal 24 thereof and pressing rearwards. This pivoting of the lever 22 will cause the plunger I9 to move downwards through the frame 2|, seating the die II on the top edge of the die II). The dies are held in this position momentarily and the heat of the top die II will set the pressed portion along the sewed edge of the case l2, causing the walls of the case to assume the position shown in Figs. 8 and 10 and forming the heat pressed stripe along the edges of the case. After a predetermined length of time the lever 22 is released and the weight 21 will move the lever back to its normal position, raising the plunger I9 and die I I ofi the die In, and permitting the die ID to be pivoted back to its inoperative position shown by the full lines in Fig. 1. In this normal position the pressed eyeglass case is slipped off the die III.

In Figs. 11, 12 and 13 a pressing device similar to that previously shown is illustrated, but which is provided with dies I0 and I I for pressing an eyeglass case I2 of a slightly different shape. The eyeglass case I2 in this form of the invention has upwardly converging sides which would prevent the engagement of this case upon the .die shown in the previous form of the invention. Due to this upwardly converging formation of the sides of the case I2 it is necessary to form the dies Ill and II to press one half of the case at a time. To accomplish this the case I2 is first engaged on the die I0, as shown in Fig. 13, and the die II is brought into its operative position upon the case,- I2' to press the first half of the case I 2'. The dies are then moved to their inoperative position and the case I2 is turned around and re-engaged upon the die III and the dies are again brought into their operative position to complete the pressing of the eyeglass case. The die II has stops 35 for guiding the die I0 to its operative position.

In other respects this form of the invention is identical to the previous form and like parts are indicated by like reference numbers.

In Fig. 14 an eyeglass case I2 of still another shape is illustrated. This case I2" is illustrated merely for the purpose of showing another type of eyeglass case which is adapted to be placed upon dies similar to those shown in the first form of the invention and which are shaped to agree with the configuration of the case i2, and then pressed in accordance with this invention.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invenion as de fined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a press, cooperative heated dies adapted to open and close, one of said dies being internal and fashioned to engage inside of said leather case, the other of said dies being external and adapted to engage outside of said leather case and having a groove into which the edge of the case enters, and a strip of slightly compressible material mounted on the edge of said internal die and comprising a counter'pressure portion against which said external dieengages to press the edges of said leather goods.

2. In combination with a press, cooperative heated dies adapted to open and close, one of said dies being internal and fashioned to engage inside of said leather case, the other of said dies being external and adapted to engage outside of said leather case and having a groove into which the edge of the case enters, and a strip of slightly compressible material mounted on the edge of said internal die and comprising a counter pressure portion against which said external'die engages to press the edges of said leather goods, said strip of material being a strip of leather belting having a circular cross section.

3. In combination with a press, cooperative heated dies adapted to open and close, one of said dies being internal and fashioned to engage inside of said leather case, the other of said dies being external and adapted to engage outside of said leather case and having a groove into which the edge of the case enters, and a strip of slightly compressible material mounted on the edge of said internal die and comprising a counter pressure portion against which said external die engages to press the edges of said leather goods, said strip or compressible material having fiat upwardly converging sides against which the sides of the groove in said external die are adapted to seat.

4. In combination with a press, cooperative heated dies adapted to open and close, one of said dies being internal and fashioned to engage inside of said leather case, the other of said dies being external and adapted to engage outside of said leather case and having a groove into which the edge of the case enters, and a strip of slightly compressible material mounted on the edge of said internal die and comprising a counter pressure portion against which said external die engages to press the edges of said leather goods, said internal die being pivotally supported and movable to an inoperative position to permit said case to be easily engaged thereon.

5. In combination with a press, cooperative heated dies adapted to open and close, one of said dies being internal and fashioned to engage inside of said leather case, the other of said dies being external and adapted to engage outside of said leather case and having a groove into which the edge of the case enters, and a strip of slightly compressible material mounted on the edge of said internal die and comprising a counter pressure portion against which said external die engages to press the edges of said leather goods, said internal die being pivotally supported and movable to an inoperative position to permit said case to be easily engaged thereon, and stops limiting the pivoting of said internal die to an operative position beneath said external die, or an inoperative position to receive said case.

6. In combination with a press, cooperative heated dies adapted to open and close, one of said dies being internal and fashioned to engage inside of said leather case, the other of said dies being external and adapted to engage outside of said leather case and having a groove into which the edge of the case enters, and a strip of slightly compressible material mounted on the edge of said internal die and comprising a counter pressure portion against which said external die engages to press the edges of said leather goods, said dies being shaped to successively press opposite ends of a case having its ends con verged inwardly with relation to its bozgtom wall.

'7. In combination with a press, cooperative heated dies adapted to open and close, one of said dies being internal and fashioned to engage inside of said leather case, the other of said dies being external and adapted toengage outside of T said leather case and having a groove into which the edge of the case enters, and a strip of slightly compressible material mounted on the edge of said internal die and comprising a counter pressure portion against which said external .die engages to press the edges of said leather goods, said dies being shaped to press an eyeglass case having its sides diverging.

8. 'In combination with a press, cooperative heated .dies adapted to open and close, one of said dies being internal and fashioned to engage inside of said leather case, the other of said dies being external and adapted to engage outside of said leather case .and having a groove into which the edge of the case enters, and a strip of slightly compressible material mounted on the edge of said internal die and comprising a counter pressure portion against which said external die engages to press the edges of said leather goods, said strip of material being set into a groove on the edges of said internal die.

9. In combination with a press, cooperative heated dies adapted to open and close, one of said dies being internal and fashioned to engage inside of said leather case, the other of said dies being external and adapted to engage outside of said leather case and having a groove into which the edge of the case enters, and a strip of slightly compressible material mounted on the edge of said internal die and comprising a counter pressure portion against which said external die engages to press the edges of said leather goods, said strip of material being set into a groove on the edges of said internal die, clips mounted upon the ends of said strip :of material and having slots, and screws engaging through said slots for releasably holding strip of material.

10. In combination with a press, cooperative heated dies adapted to open and close, one of said dies being internal and fashioned to engage inside of said leather case, the other of said dies being external and adapted to engage outside of said leathercase and having a grooveinto which the edge of the case enters, anda strip of slight- 1y compressible material mounted on the edge of said internal die and comprising aflcounter pressure portion against which said external die engages to press, the edges of said leather goods, said strip of material .being set into a groove on the edges of said internal die, clips mounted upon the ends of said strip of material and having slots, and screws engaging through said slots for releasably holding said strip of materiaLsaid screws engaging the edges of said internal die.

11. In combination with a press, cooperative heated dies adapted to .open and close, one of said dies being internal and fashioned to engage inside of said leather case, the other of .said dies being external and adapted .to engage outside of said leather case and having a groove into which the edge'of the case enters, and a strip of slightly compressible material mounted on the edge of said internal die and comprising a counter pressure portion against which said external die engages 'to press the edgesof said leather goods, and a, heater mounted on one of said dies for supplying heat to set the pressed edges of the eyeglass case.

SAMUEL -BIAWITZ. 

